Prof. Judy Freedman Fask

Prof. Judy Freedman Fask is the Director of the ASL/Deaf Studies program at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.   Judy has been a nationally certified freelance interpreter for 27 years, working specifically in the areas of medical and mental health.  Judy has also worked as a teacher of the deaf and a vocational counselor with the Deaf.  Judy earned an M.E.D (Deaf Education) from Smith College and an M.Ed (rehabilitation counseling) from Springfield College.   Judy has been at Holy Cross for 17 years and is most proud of the innovative pedagogical approach that closely integrates the intellectual rigor and critical thinking of the classroom with Community Based Learning partnerships (CBL).

Beyond Words…Taking Action…Strategies for Deaf Studies Programs.

This workshop will introduce and discuss six different Deaf Studies programs in Massachusetts. These six programs have some similarities and differences in terms of program mission, program structure, curriculum, and internal struggles. Not all programs share a similar definition of Deaf Studies. Some institutions consider this field of study as vocational and some think of it as a broader study of humanity. This variation in perspective affects the design of the institutional program and the level of support it receives from the administration.  Struggles are both explicit and implicit, raising issues such as perception about Deaf Studies, budget constraints, lack of representation in faculty senate, and disparity in program structure in comparison to other existing programs.  The presentation will also look at and highlight the many contributions these programs make to the students, the institution, and the community.

After the presentation, the presenters will lead a discussion with attendees on the current situation amongst Deaf Studies programs – identify the existing challenges and consider potential strategies for making Deaf Studies an equally respectable discipline within institutions of higher education.